(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical waveguide.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Planar lightwave circuit (PLC) technology is a technology for fabricating an optical element by forming an optical waveguide serving as an optical communication medium on a planar substrate such as a silicon wafer.
An optical waveguide used for a PLC uses two or more dielectric materials having different refractive indexes. The dielectric material having a higher refractive index forms an optical waveguide having a rectangular or circular cross-section, and an optical signal is transmitted through the optical waveguide. A variety of expensive semiconductor processes, such as etching, deposition, etc., are required to form an optical waveguide.